Facets 1: If Loving You Is Wrong
by Avonnalay-Ariemay
Summary: I never wanted to get married, least of all to her. So I’ll be damned if I’m going to adhere to a set of rules about my marriage when I had no say in it to begin with.


**_Disclaimer_** - _The characters within this story are not mine, nor is the lyrics to the song you will see. They belong to people who are much more clever than myself. So please don't sue me, as you aren't going to get anything other than some college textbooks. No money is being made….yay yay yay…you people know this mess by now._

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_**Facets #1**_

_**If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right**_

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It was never supposed to happen.

He was never supposed to fall in love. And especially not with her, of all people.

Shinobi had rules against something like this, rules that were put in place for a reason. The 25th principle of the shinobi code stated that a shinobi never shows their feelings, no matter what the circumstances because it only weakened their mind and clouded their judgment, which in turn ultimately leads to dereliction of duty. This includes, but is not limited to, intended targets, those placed under the direct protection of a shinobi within the parameters set forth for or during a mission, and/or another shinobi.

It was all a bunch of gibberish bullshit as far as he was concerned.

'_Of course, if everyone followed those rules like they were supposed to, I doubt there would be many ninja's left to keep the place safe. Little future shinobis have to come from somewhere, right?' _Neiji thought glumly as we walked swiftly down the road that led into the East side of Konoha village, headed for the modest little house that was inhibited by his former teammate. He kicked at a stone that was in front of him, quickly noticing that the sun was low on the horizon, and would set within a few hours.

He didn't have much time.

Fifteen minutes later, he stood on the small porch that led into a modest sized house that was set back away from the main street that ran the Konoha's east side. He raised his fist and knocked lightly on the door, almost immediately hearing the soft footsteps of the woman he so dearly cared about come forward, opening the door, a warm grin on her face.

"You're early." she said, giving him a full blown smile as she pulled him into her house and shut the door with her hip. "Dinner's not finished yet."

"Don't worry about it." Neiji said, quickly burying his head into Tenten's neck and flowing hair. He breathed in the intoxicating scent that belonged uniquely to Konoha's only weapons mistress, and felt the tension and stress leave his body as her hands slowly rubbed his shoulders.

"How long do we have?" she whispered when he placed soft kisses on her neck.

"Temari's not going to be back from her mission until tomorrow." he answered, not wanting to talk about the blonde kunoichi who he just happened to be married to.

"All night? That's rare." she said with a smile, pulling him further into her apartment, and further into the tangled web of lies and anger they had been struggling to deal with for so long. "Better not waste it, huh?"

"No, we shouldn't." he said, hoisting the slight woman up and heading straight for her bedroom in the back of the house. To her credit, Tenten neither shrieked, nor yelled at him in protest. She simply shook her head and let him go….not like she would fight him over something that they both wanted, and he knew that all too well.

They had not been together for almost a month, both having been caught up with their own missions and individual work, he with his Genin group, and she with her parent's weapon's shop. Quick glances while passing in the street, or a nod of head when they saw each other in the Hokage's tower was not what the contact they longed for. But now, they were free to enjoy each other's company, in every sense of the word. Neiji knew that she didn't have to work until late tomorrow, and he knew that this was the only free time he was going to get away from Temari while she was on a mission. The Hyuuga man grinned as he walked into the well known room that Tenten called a bedroom.

The weapon's mistress, usually a woman who had a bedroom cluttered with paperwork and weapons of various sizes and shapes, had apparently tidied up before he arrived. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least. But his attention was brought back to the hear and now when Tenten finally managed to wriggle out of his grasp and slip behind him, hugging him slightly.

"You seem a bit preoccupied, Neiji." she said quietly. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing more so than normal." he said simply, causing her face to falter a little and her head to turn sideways with a guilty look that broke his heart.

"If you'd rather not be here…."

"You know that's not the case, Tenten." he said firmly, enveloping her in a hug that spoke volumes more than he could ever say. "That's never the case with you…"

"I know." she said, still averting her gaze despite his gentle embrace. "It's just that…."

"No worries." he said softly, meeting her lips with his own for only a moment before pulling back. "It's nothing to worry about. We've got all night…"

"All night." she repeated, drawing his much taller form down to her, and searing him with a kiss filled with lust, longing and pure love.

And as he lost himself in a kiss that mirrored the roaring emotions flowing through his head, one particular thought stood out like a beacon on a stormed tossed sea.

This was never supposed to have happened.

_**If loving you is wrong I don't wanna be right  
If being right means being without you  
I'd rather live a wrong doing life**_

Neiji blinked, slowly regaining his senses from the light slumber he had fallen into. Beside him, a content and happy Tenten curled into his side, muttering his name softly in her slumber.

The Hyuuga man just smiled faintly, pushing a wisp of her long hair out of her face where it danced every time she exhaled. The light touch didn't disturb her, in fact she seemed to draw comfort from it as she settled down and fell into an undisturbed rest. Neiji just wished it was as easy for him to rest after yet another consummation of their still forbidden relationship.

How long had this been going on now? Eight months? Ten? A year, maybe two?

He didn't remember, only for it to hit him a few seconds later. His and Temari's one year anniversary was coming up in a few weeks. Well, that answered that question.

Almost as if she had picked up on his sudden unease, Tenten muttered and opened her sleep filled eyes up at him.

"Neiji?"

"It's okay, Tenten." he said gently. "Go back to sleep."

The woman complied easily and was soon back in her wistful dreamland while he continued to stare at the ceiling and think of what he was doing…what he was destroying.

'_We kept our relationship hidden for so long as teenagers, mostly because we both knew my family would have more to say about it than either of us wanted to hear.' _he thought, content to just watch the woman he so admired and loved simply sleep on unaware of his inner turmoil.

The Hyuuga clan never was known as a family who were not apt to be lenient on those who did not conform to their opinions or ways of thinking. It had been hard enough for Neiji to stand by without uttering a word in Hinata's defense when Hiashi found out about her and Naruto's relationship. How could he, Hinata's personal protector, say anything to his younger cousin when he was doing the same thing she was, hiding a relationship that they both knew would be condemned simply because the ones they had chosen were not up to Hiashi Hyuuga's standards.

'_Granted, Naruto Uzumaki is not now, and has never been, my most favorite person in the world. He's loud, hyperactive and impulsive…and that's on his off days. The rest of the time he's just all around annoying and…and… _

_Well, he's Naruto. What more can I say? There aren't adequate words to describe him.'_

But despite all that Neiji could criticize the blonde on, he knew that Naruto always treated Hinata well, much better than some nameless jerk who Hiashi would have undoubtedly had her married off to. Even to this day, the two of them were so in love it gives him cavities just to see them together. But they worked well together, and are well matched for each other.

'_Even Hiashi agrees, despite the fact that he does not want to admit it.' _Neiji thought with a shake of his head. '_I just wish he could have been so receptive to giving the two of us a chance at finding happiness the way he gave Hinata and Naruto their chance.'_

**_Your mama and daddy say it's a shame  
It's a downright disgrace  
Long as I got you by my side  
I don't care what your people say  
_**  
It was an hour or so after the breaking of day that Neiji finally managed to get away from Tenten's house. The kunoichi had been reluctant to let him leave, although should the truth be told, Neiji hadn't wanted to leave her side either. But like usual, they both had things to do that day, and realized that if they lingered in each other's presence much longer they both would have wound up right back in the comfortable cocoon of blankets on her bed. She had to get ready for an ANBU mission that was scheduled to depart at noon, and he needed to go back to his house and get a change of clothes before meeting up with his Genin team.

Neiji left Tenten at the door of her apartment, giving her a kiss goodbye and a warning to be careful on her upcoming assignment. Tenten just smiled and nodded, arms folded across her chest as she leaned against the doorway to watch him jump out of sight before finally going back into her little house.

The Hyuuga man dropped down into the streets, preferring to actually walk at a normal pace this morning that making an all out sprint to his house. The sidewalk was not crowded yet, but the fruit and vegetable vendors were slowly beginning to draw their usual morning crowds of early shoppers. Neiji continued on his way, noticing that a couple of the elder merchants were giving him knowing looks, little grins on their faces. Neiji just ignored the blatant stares from the civilians. After all, he knew why they were staring, and he was used to it.

Oh yeah. He knew. Hell, everyone in the damned village knew what was going on between him and Tenten. It wasn't like they tried to hide it anymore because there was no point. Civilians and ninja alike had heard quickly through the Konoha gossip chain that the Hyuuga prodigy had taken the village's weapons expert as a mistress. And of course, the receptions had been quite varied. Some were calling it a disgrace while others applauded both him and Tenten for going against tradition. Of course, the reception from both the Hyuuga head and Tenten's family had been far from pleasant, and Neiji remembered the backlash all too well when her parent's had found out. It was still something that tore him up inside. But the scathing looks that he was currently receiving only worsened the feelings of helplessness that he had felt the night everything blew up in their faces.

'_I remember the night you came to my small house right outside the Hyuuga compound, crying your eyes out. Temari had left on a mission two days before, and I had just returned from one, so I was alone. You didn't bother to knock, just walked right in and grabbed me, still crying up a storm. I never told you anything, but you scared me right then. The Tenten I knew didn't cry. In fact, I think I had seen you cry only two times before then. _

_I didn't know what to do, at least not until I got you calmed down and coherent enough to speak._

_You told me about the fight, how your parents had confronted you about the rumors. You didn't deny the facts; there was no point in it. What good would lying do at that point? You told me that your mother raged and then broke down crying while your father silently fumed for a whole thirty seconds before asking you if your sanity was still intact. His question only fueled the fire and made an already uneasy confrontation go downhill within a matter of seconds. He raged, you didn't back down, even going so far as to tell him to mind his own damned business and let you make your own choices._

_You left your parents that night, and came to me. I done the best I could to reassure you that everything was going to be okay, that no one's opinion mattered to us. But deep down, I was beginning to doubt myself.'_

He still wondered was it worth it, to continue with this arrangement. Neiji knew Tenten's relationship with both her parents was solid. And short of the normal arguments that came along with raising a daughter, she never really fought or argued with them. He had envied such a bond, and didn't want their actions to cause a split to form. But that was exactly what was happening, as her father so rightly informed him four days later when they coincidentally met outside the Hokage's tower.

Neiji didn't know if Tenten ever found out or not, but her father Shang was absolutely intent on killing him that day. And had Tsunade not stepped in, he probably would have succeeded given enough time. Byakugan had its uses, and always kept him safe…even that day. But it seemed like nothing Neiji did or said could circumvent the rage in the aging weapon's expert. Of course, Neiji could not fault the older ninja, as he'd have done the same thing if he had been in his position. But in the end, Neiji hadn't hurt him because he didn't want to anger or upset Tenten.

'_He was angry, and accused me of warping your mind, of tainting you and convincing you that you had feelings for me that weren't truly there. He said that his precious daughter would never associate with a married man, that she knew better. _

_Apparently he didn't know you as well as he thought he did. But your father's wrath was nothing compared to my uncle's.' _

Neiji had almost died, numerous times during his uncle's little interrogation after hearing the rumors through the village grapevine. It was almost like Hiashi would push him to the brink of death, only to let him slide back into reality and realize exactly how much pain he was in. That was the only time Neiji had wished she was there to help, but Tenten had been called off for a mission the day before, leaving him to stand on his own, facing the wrath of the man who had raised him. But the oddest thing about it was the fact that we were in the middle of the village when all this happened.

'_I managed to piss of the all mighty Hiashi Hyuuga to the point where he forgot all that pointless politeness and formality. Oh yay!'_ he chuckled lightly. '_I'm still thanking the gods for the miracle that is Hinata for getting me out of that mess. My younger cousin and heir apparent to the Hyuuga clan stood up to her own father for me, her ass of an older cousin who all but tried to kill her during the Chunin exams all those years ago. Naruto was at her side of course. And though he didn't seem all that happy to be helping me out, his presence was enough to force Hiasha to step down from the fight. _

_Apparently intimidation works on Hiasha Hyuuga when the one facing him is the man who almost single handedly wiped out Orochimaru and two members of Akatsuki with the help of the nine-tailed fox demon. _

_Yeah, I'd have been shitting in my pants too, Byakugan or not.'_

Hinata was the one who brought him to the hospital afterwards. And Neiji had slept for almost three days straight after he was admitted, despite Tsunade's healing abilities. Granted, Hiashi had not come out of the quarrel unscathed, and had eventually passed out as well due from utter exhaustion of chakra and energy. And even after he had woken up, Neiji couldn't move normally for another week. It was during this time of recuperation that Neiji had seriously considered putting a stop to what he and Tenten were doing. But it was surprisingly Temari who had been responsible for not only shooting down that idea, but putting a stop to much of the chaos he and Tenten had stirred up.

When she had found out what had happened, Temari had come to check up on her husband, only to find Tenten in the room already. Neiji had thought there would be bloodshed then and there, but it never happened. Temari never questioned why Hiashi acted so out of character, nor why Tenten was practically lying beside him in the hospital bed when she arrived. In her heart, she knew exactly why, and it was her obvious acceptance of the blatant truth that had shot down many of the rumors circulating through the ranks of Konoha villagers. The scandal had lost its appeal when Temari proved to be rather indifferent as to what her husband was doing, and with whom he was doing it with.

'_And as I lay there in the hospital, Temari on one side of me and you on the other, with a frowning Godaime looking on, I once again asked myself the same question that I had the night you came to me crying after fighting with your mother and father._

_Was it worth all this? _

_But one look at your crying, love filled eyes answered it for me._

_Yes. It was worth it.' _

_**Your friends tell you there's no future  
In loving a married man  
If I can't see you when I want to  
I'll see you when I can**_

Neiji's mouth tilted up slightly at the memory of that day. Things had calmed down after then, much to his relief. Tenten had left hours after Temari had, so he had been a bit surprised when his blonde wife had popped back up at the hospital that night, ready and willing to have a chat about how things stood between them and all that mess. Half an hour later, things had been sorted out, and a few rules put into place. Afterwards, Temari just gave him a saucy little grin and said she'd take care of the gossipers. Neiji grinned outright at that particular memory. It seemed that the temperamental kunoichi had went through the village and told everyone to mind their own damned business, because he had never heard much about it after that.

The Hyuuga prodigy stopped at one of the fruit stands and sifted through some of the apples, figuring it would be a good idea to get some while they were still relatively in season. Winter would be coming soon, and the supply of fresh food would be diminished.

'_But the reaction of our respective families was nothing compared to what our colleagues and old teammates thought. We were separated almost immediately, despite the well known fact that we were one of the most efficient teams Konoha had at its disposal.' _Neiji thought bitterly, inadvertently bruising one of the red skinned fruits he had reached for from the anger inside him. '_You started having more ANBU missions and shorter breaks in between them. I was given a Genin team of my own to train, effectively taking up most of the free time I had before. Not only that, but Hiashi seemed to believe that if I had free time to go '_cavorting' _with a woman who was not my rightful wife, then I had enough time to take on some of the more menial tasks set before the clan. I didn't mind the extra work, at least after the first week or so. But when I realized that my uncle had me doing mounds of paperwork at all hours of the night for absolutely no reason, I got more than just a little pissed. _

_Once again, Hinata stepped in and overruled her father's decision. It was immediately apparent that he regretted turning over the majority of his power to his heir before then. Hiashi's last official action as Hyuuga clan head had been the arrangement and carry through of my marriage to Temari. And Hinata, who had been acting as the head administrator for the clan for a few months by this particular point in time, told everyone to more or less butt out and leave us alone. I was grateful, and Hiashi finally backed down. Of course, he still glares at me at any given time we happen to meet, but not another word has he uttered since then. I was thankful to my younger cousin for her interference. But the full brunt of my actions came around to slap me in the face when Hinata called me into her study and point blank told me that if I was going to continue seeing you despite the fact that I was married, then perhaps it would be a wise decision to not make it so blatant.'_

Handing the bag of fruit to the vendor, who quickly weighed it and gave him the price, Neiji paid him and was off again, headed for his own abode.

'_It appeared we had caused one our supporters some trouble with the Hyuuga clan council members when they had questioned her on what she planned to do to stop those _'disgraceful, ill respected actions of one of our own'_. To which, Hinata said '_not a damned thing'. _Of course, that was Naruto's version of the events, so I doubt any sort of expletive escaped Hinata's mouth. But he got the general idea across.'_

The most surprising thing was that Hinata put up no resistance to her cousin's duality. In fact, only a few days later, she had started looking into possibly finding a way to dissolve the marriage contract without breaking any major rules or instigating a war with the Hidden Sand village. Neiji had had no word yet as for what she might had found, but Neiji remembered Naruto mentioning casually the other day that one of the special projects Hinata was working on was beginning to bare fruit. Neiji only knew of one project his baby cousin was concerning herself with at the time, and it was hunting a way for him to dissolve his marriage. The Hyuuga man had hoped fate would find a way to release him from his bind to Temari. But he had quit believing in fate a long time ago….once again thanks to Naruto.

'_No one ever brings up the situation between you, me, and Temari, though. Surprised me at first, how hard everyone works to avoid the subject around any of us. They treat the subject with the utmost carefulness, like they are afraid one of us is going to attempt murder should they bring it up.' _Neiji though as he continued to walk along the street, dodging the early morning shoppers and nodding to those that he recognized. '_But I see it in their eyes. I see the questions that they refuse to ask. And I know you see them as well, Tenten. I see the scathing looks they send you and I, the pitying looks Temari gets when those around us see her. At first, I felt the need to pound the people giving us those looks and muttering those horrible words. _

_But then I realized that I couldn't take on three-quarters of Konoha's inhabitants single handedly, Hyuuga genius or not.' _

_**If loving you is wrong I don't wanna be right  
If loving you is wrong I don't wanna be right**_

A few minutes later, Neiji turned down the familiar street that led to his house. The Hyuuga compound was in sight, and he could already see a number of Branch House family members going about their usual business. He could also make out the slight figure of Hinata and her perpetual blonde side-kick.

The two had been married a year ago, much to not only Hiashi's consternation, but the family council as well. They had believed that after forfeiting the Kyuubi container's request to formally present for the Hyuuga heir, he would go on his way. What they weren't banking on was Hinata finally showing that backbone she had managed to inconspicuously grow in the past few years. The young woman had pitched one hell of a fit with her father and the council members, or so Hanabi said. Neiji still wasn't sure exactly what had happened that day, all he did know was that Hinata had walked out of the council room with a superior look in her pale eyes, and a smirking Naruto at her side. There were rumors milling around the Branch family members that Hinata had threatened to kick the whole lot of the council off of the compound, and then sic a Kyuubi controlled Naruto onto them if they gave her any more grief about it.

'_And I say again, Naruto managed to take down Orochimaru and two of Akatsuki's members single handedly. I don't think anyone, Hyuuga council members included, that wanted to chance that rage being set loose again. After that, nothing else was said about the Uzumaki runt spending time with Hinata. Even Hiashi agreed that he was at least powerful enough to take care of his heir, which translated into 'She's going to do what she wants to anyway, and she's got the resources and contacts to back up her decision, so there's not much I can do about it although I'm not going to admit to it.' _

_I just thought it was funny to see the mighty Hiashi Hyuuga getting bullied around by the boy who had once been called the village reject. Oh, how the mighty fall…._

_It was about the time that Hinata's wedding happened that the rumor mill started kicking up again. Only this time, many believed her to be pregnant with Naruto's child….which of course proved to be a lie. After that settled down, the spotlight turned back to the two of us….and the speculation of what was going to happen….or in some cases, why what had happened so far came to pass to begin with._

_I don't care, though. You were the first woman who ever showed me that it was okay to be less than perfect sometimes. You proved to me that there was someone who loved me. _

_Of course, I didn't realize at first what you were silently offering me, what fifteen year old boy would? You showed me that there were things outside of my self-induced world of fate and pain that I could achieve. _

_I remember the first time I thought I loved you, and I remember when I finally realized that I did love you. Both times happened in the middle of a battle field actually. The first was a quick trip to Grass Country to deliver some papers to some dignitary or another. We got caught in the crossfire between some warring ninja factions that had popped up after Orochimaru's death at Naruto's hands. You had been hit by three or four shuriken and kunai, and fell to the ground, bleeding all over the grassy area. All I remember thinking was, 'she's bleeding…Tenten's bleeding…she's not supposed to bleed…' After that, everything was a blur. I just lost it. When I came back to reality, neither of the original fighting factions were still alive. I had killed them all in the search for the one who had managed to hit you and spill your precious blood. _

_As I carried you back to Konoha, I realized that my reaction had been completely out of character for me, but I never realized why. It was more than just simple concern for my partner or teammate that had made me fly off the handle, and I knew that well enough. But for the longest time, I never knew why I had lost precious control over the situation when I saw your blood.'_

_I realized I loved you one night when we inadvertently caught Naruto and Hinata together near the river outside the village. The couple was in the middle of a heated discussion centered about, of all things, ramen. Naruto was saying that it was possible to survive your entire life on nothing but different flavors of instant ramen. But Hinata disagreed, quickly citing half a million reasons that had something to do with proper nutrition and vitamins building up a person's immune system, or something like that._

_Night had fallen hours before, but you and I had been standing on a tree branch and talking most of the evening, only to eventual fall into a companionable silence a few hours before. As we listened halfheartedly to Naruto's comparison of ramen types, I realized something that had been bugging me for weeks on end._

_I made the connection that my feelings were like different types of ramen. There were certain ones that I had for you that were friendship, some that were respect, some that were intrigue, some that were a fierce type of protectiveness, and some that were still a mystery even after all the years we had been teammates. They were all the same really, just feelings that could be chalked up to a friendship such as ours was. _

_But then Hinata pointed out that different kinds of ramen were all good and well, but that you needed something else to keep you alive and going. You needed something else to supplement what you were already getting from the ramen, different foods that would give a body the vitamins and minerals that it needed to proceed doing what it was designed to do, to complete the circle that was life. _

_That was when I realized that despite all that I felt for you, there was still something missing, something that didn't fit neatly into those little labeled boxes I had organized so carefully. I was missing the whole picture because I was focusing solely on each little piece. That all encompassing feeling that had been bugging me for days finally had a name…and one that I almost choked on when I realized what it was._

_Love._

_I loved you. _

_Just like Hinata had said that a body needed more than just ramen to survive properly and function correctly, I needed your love to keep me whole. I needed your presence, your friendship, your….well everything! I needed you with me to feel at peace and complete. Your love was the thing that tied all my feelings together, giving me everything I would need. _

_I know you'd probably laugh yourself stupid if I ever told you it took Naruto's ramen obsession for me to realize I loved you, but still….._

Neiji finally saw his house, and sped up to get there. He only had about an hour before he was supposed to meet his Genin group and head to the Hokage's tower to receive his assignment for the day, so he had to hurry up before he found himself running late.

_**Am I wrong to fall so deeply in love with you  
Knowing I got a wife and two little children  
Depending on me too**_

Neiji realized that he wasn't the only one home as soon as he opened the door to the house. He could hear water running in the bathroom, and found a large iron and cloth fan leaning up against the countertop. That only meant one thing. Temari was back home after her mission. Grabbing a bowl, he tossed the purchased fruit into it and set it aside.

'_Temari._

_I don't understand her, even after all these months of being married to her. In fact, I doubt there is any living creature on this planet that understands that woman._

_The sand witch never was one to hold her tongue, even when we were teenagers. And despite the fact that our marriage was arranged, she took the impending union with less anger than I did, although she has dropped more than just one hint that the elder's council from her home village . I suppose that should have been the first sign that something was not right. After all, Temari was not the type of woman to give up her life as a ninja to become a housewife and raise children. It's a good thing that's the last thing either of us want her to do. _

_She knows what I do. She knows where I am and who I'm with on the nights I'm late coming home. I don't think she realizes it, but I know when she notices the lasting wisps of your scent on me. She wrinkled her nose, raises her left eyebrow, and smoothly changes the subject to something that is a neutral topic. _

_Hell, she's done it so many times, I'm beginning to think it's almost second nature by now._

_Brash and sarcastic as she can and usually is, she doesn't question me anymore. There's no point. Why ask a question when you already know the answer? That's just redundant. _

_I still wonder every time I come home why she hasn't killed me yet for such infidelity. We both know her temperament is anything but conducive to this sort of thing. But she just…took it in stride when things came out. I didn't know how to handle her after that. _

_Anger, I was expecting. _

_A bloody fight, I was ready for. _

_All out Hell on Earth, I could deal with._

_But what did I get? _

_Not a damned thing other than a not so subtle order not to bring you into the house that Temari and I now shared as husband and wife._

_Of course her lenient attitude could have had something to do with the fact that Shikamaru was back in town again by then. _

_And to top it off, I've beat her home on a few occasions as of late. I still remember your snickering and laughing when I told you that, and how you grinned and told me that Anko mentioned to you that she saw Shikamaru and Temari leaving the village inn a few weeks ago late at night, only to part about a quarter mile from the Hyuuga compound. _

_The worse part about that news is that I wasn't angry in the least when you told me. Hell, I was happy! Temari, for all her rotten attitude at times, isn't really that bad of a person. If she was happy with Shikamaru, so be it. I wasn't going to stop her._

_You can see exactly how well we followed the '_love and cherish only each other' _part of our vows._

_Pathetic, isn't it?_

_Of course I'm sure the one who wrote that wasn't being forced to marry someone for the sake of tightening political ties to a neighboring country, either.' _

_**And am I wrong to hunger  
For the gentleness of your touch  
Knowing I got somebody else at home  
Who needs me just as much**_

'_And despite the differences between the two of you, you are similar in more ways than can be attributed solely to your profession of choice. Both you and Temari are stubborn to a fault. But while my blonde wife is more apt to just swing a fan and blow you away, you are more likely to fill the perpetrator who wronged you full of shuriken, kunai and other various pointy and/or sharp objects. _

_Then again, the result is the same despite the difference in means, so I guess that is a negligible point. _

_The two of you are just…I really don't know how to explain it, honestly. In fact, had you never been there, I might have actually found myself attracted to Temari and consequently able to go through with this stupid arrangement with less consternation than at present._

_You are both strong, stubborn, out spoken and headstrong. But your main difference lies solely in your attitudes. Temari is a cynical sort, and usually looks at any given situation in a 'the glass is half empty' frame of mind. But you, Tenten, you have a positive outlook despite the circumstances present. Most people would think that someone like me could appreciate Temari's realistic outlook, and would prefer it by far than your own. But they would be wrong. _

_My often times fatalistic outlook, however improved by my beating at the hands of Naruto many years ago, is what has kept me afloat in reality for years. But sometimes even I like to see the positive side of a bad situation._

_Got stabbed with a kunai? _

_Your response would be being thankful it didn't hit a vital spot._

_Temari would just say quit whining and get a move on before you get yourself killed._

_Fell out of a tree during training because you couldn't channel your chakra correctly? _

_Your response would be to tell the newbies not to worry, and that they'll get it with practice._

_Temari's would be a sarcastic question consisting somewhere along the line of 'You didn't break your neck, did you? No? Then suck it up.'_

_There's an entire squad of enemy ninjas surrounding you? _

_Your response would be to grin and get ready to take out as many of the bastards as you could before they realize what hit them._

_Temari would just say 'Be glad it's not two squads and a pack of pissed off hounds.'_

_A little extreme, I realize. But that is just the way things are with you. _

_And that's not the only difference…just the most prominent to everyone around us. _

_Your touch is ambiguous, where as Temari is just straightforward. Your hands are calloused from handling your weapons, and from the labors in general that come from being a Konoha kunoichi. But your touch to me….it is as gentle as silk. I know it's stupidly clichéd, but I don't know how else to describe it. Words have never been my strong point, after all. _

_Temari is just as blunt and to the point in her affections as she is with her words. She couldn't be coy, or even appear the least bit mysterious if her life depended on it. Then again, Shikamaru would probably disagree with that. But at least with you, I can let lose and have a little fun every now and then. _

_That's one of the best parts of being with you, Tenten. I can have fun and enjoy myself without losing face. You've seen me at my best just as much as you've seen me at my worst. I have nothing more to hide from you, even if I wanted to. You are a comfort to me in more ways than one.'_

_**If loving you is wrong I don't wanna be right  
If loving you is wrong I don't wanna be right**_

Neiji frowned and put the kettle of water on to heat. It was still early in the morning, and he had a feeling that Temari had not ingested a sufficient amount of caffeine yet…and in truth neither had he. Tenten didn't drink coffee or tea in the morning time, so he hadn't had any yet either. He also found a note on the table that had his name scribbled on it. He broke the seal and scanned over the contents, grimacing when he realized that Hiashi wanted to meet with him after he got away from his Genin team that evening. He didn't know what the elder Hyuuga could possibly want, especially since they had not been on the best of speaking terms for the majority of the time since he had been forced into marrying Temari. Neiji was seriously contemplating just tearing the note up and pretending he hadn't found it, but figured that would only make matters worse. He tossed the note away and sat at the table, reaching for the other one.

This time, he recognized the handwriting. It was a note from Hinata, requesting that both he and Temari meet with her as soon as Temari returned from her mission. Neiji found it odd that both his uncle and cousin were requesting to see him so close together. Obviously something was going on that he didn't know about. The light eyed Hyuuga just frowned and folded the note back before pocketing it. He continued on with his previous intention of making tea, quickly pulling some tea leaves from a canister, his mind already wandering back to the woman he had left that morning.

'_Are we wrong, Tenten? Are we wrong to seek comfort in the ones we truly love? The ones we trust beyond a shadow of a doubt? Sure, I would trust Temari with my life, should the need arise. She's already proven she doesn't want to punish me for my affections for you, nor you for staying by my side through all of it. But I never really knew why. At least not until I realized that she was probably in a relationship as well when it was announced that she was to be arranged to wed a member of a Konoha noble family. _

_I've asked myself a million times since I was married if this mess was worth all the trouble we've caused. And every time, I come up with the same answer._

_Yes. It's worth it. It is worth all the condemnation we both endure on a day to day basis. We only live once, and I figure we'd better enjoy ourselves while we can. Given our line of work, we don't have time for regrets. And there would be no way in the seven layers of hell that I'd give up the time we spend together just because society's skewed views screwed us over in the first place. _

_I never wanted an arranged marriage, so I'll be damned if I'm going to adhere to a set of rules about my marriage that I had no say in to begin with._

_**Am I wrong to fall so deeply in love with you  
Knowing I've got a wife and two little children  
Who need me too**_

Neiji noticed when the water stopped running, and he could vaguely hear Temari as she moved around in the bathroom that was adjacent to her own room, which was on the opposite side of the hallway from his own bedroom. It was a set up that they had come up with not long after it had been announced that he and Temari would be married. Temari had known that he and Tenten were together, mostly because she acted as Gaara's personal mail carrier and was usually the one delivering messages to the Leaf Village for the Kazekage. So she had no problem with taking another room and leaving Neiji to his own.

The woman had always seemed like the common sense type, and Neiji was more than happy with the way her rational mind thought out and accepted the circumstances surrounding their lives at the time. She knew he didn't want to give up Tenten, and she also knew that there was no point in them sharing a bedroom because it would only cause trouble. So she stayed in her own room, and he stayed in his. It worked out fine that way, for both of them.

In fact, it was like they were roommates that only saw each other every now and then when their schedules overlapped, as opposed to a married couple who happened to have odd schedules due to their jobs.

'_There is no love in my marriage to Temari, never was. There is respect, understanding and possibly friendship…but not love. The union was arranged to forge stronger political bonds with the Wind Country. But as far as I can see, it has only done the complete opposite. Gaara is Temari's brother, and Kazekage of the Sand Village, and even he tried to put a stop to the marriage when it was suggested, but the Sand Village council overruled him. And psychotic though he once was, he cares about Temari's reputation and well being. Kankuro is even worse, if that's even possible. _

_When Gaara and Kankuro paid a visit and caught up on the village news not long after the wedding, everything got even worse, if that was possible. If Temari hadn't stepped in, I know neither of us would have lived through that fight. I still don't know what she said to those two to keep them from killing us, but I was appreciative to the point of worship when she stepped in and made Gaara release me from that sand coffin jutsu so I could pull you out of that damned hooded menace's puppet before he turned you into a pin cushion.'_

_**And am I wrong to hunger for the gentleness of your touch.  
Knowing I got someone else at home that needs me just as much.**_

Neiji grimaced, recalling all too well how long it had taken for him to recover from the brother's combined anger. Hiashi's displeasure had been bad enough, but even what the Hyuuga head had dished out was meager in comparison to what Gaara could have done to him had Temari not intervened, and Neiji knew it. That was not a day he liked to think about, nor the subsequent days afterwards when he was recuperating in the hospital. The light eyed man pushed the thought away almost reflexively, but not before coming to a very familiar conclusion.

He'd been sent to the hospital more times in the last year due to his relationship with Tenten than he ever had before he was promoted to Jounin level. It was a sad statement, that much was for sure.

Neiji heard the door to the bathroom open, and momentarily thought about just disappearing before Temari came into the room. He didn't know why the thought even took flight though, because it was not as if the kunoichi would be angry with him. She'd actually probably be surprised to see him in the house since it was rare that their schedules overlapped long enough to even say hello. Instead, he got up and pulled two mugs out of the cabinet, deftly fixing himself a cup of tea and leaving the other there for Temari. His stomach rumbled a bit and he grabbed some sort of pastry that was left on the countertop in a box, making quick work of it while he glanced at his wife's half finished mission report.

It seemed that the assassination mission she'd been sent on with Kiba and Kurenai had been successful, despite the large amount of casualties that had occurred during their retreat back to Konoha. Neiji secretly wondered if that massive body count was because of Temari. The blonde woman had a tendency to like causing mass destruction with her precious fan. Fields of bloody, torn bodies didn't bother her in the least, so suffice to say she was probably the reason for the mounds of dead that Kurenai had to undoubtedly torch. The blonde was certainly thorough, especially when something managed to catch her attention…or even worse, her ire.

'_Like when the marriage was announced.' _Neiji thought. '_Other than what she supposedly done to the Sand council members, she took the entire mess with an easy stride. I know for a fact she wasn't happy about it then, and could still care less about the marriage, especially now. But her calm acceptance was a bit out of character from what I'd heard of her character. Word has it she raged against the proposal just as much as I did with the officials in Konoha…not that it did any good in the end._

_But you….I still remember the worry I saw in your face when I told you of the possibility of an arranged marriage with Temari, and the blatant outrage when it was finally announced. I hated myself for bringing such a hurt look to your usually cheerful face. But I hated my uncle even more for even getting me into that kind of situation. Nothing I said would change his mind. Nothing I threatened to do had any affect at all. He even had the nerve to berate me and say that it was an honorable way for a Branch member to attain a higher status and gain more respect. The old bastard could say that to my face all he wanted. But I knew of one little dirty mark against the Hyuuga clan, and him in particular. _

_No one other than a few select Main family members and myself knew it, but when it was time for Hiasha Hyuuga to take a wife, he had already taken a liking to a woman who wasn't a possible candidate. So what did he do? He killed one of the other candidate's fathers. The rest of the families with eligible daughters took it as a bad omen, and quickly found reasons to retract their offers from the Hyuuga clan. After that, when all the eligible women had been spirited away by their families, Hiashi had taken Hinata's mother as his wife. _

_So he could go on and on about how the marriage was a step up for me, a chance to bolster my status, but as far as I was concerned he was full of hot air. At least I hadn't stooped so low as to kill one of Temari's brothers to force a withdrawal of the offer.'_

The marriage wasn't without its good points of course, at least from the Leaf and Sand villages point of view. The bonds of friendship had indeed been cemented with the marriage, only to be ridiculously strained after the fight with Gaara and Kankuro. Trade and commerce between the allies was at an all time high, and it looked like the peace treaty would finally hold through for once.

Of course Neiji had suspected that Hinata had gone to Tsunade in an attempt to have the Hokage work with the Kazekage and find a way to circumvent the power of their respective village's councils and have the marriage dissolved. After all, Gaara and Tsunade both had been against the joining, citing a half dozen reasons each, only to have it fall on the deaf ears of the councils. Neiji couldn't fault the council member's logic. A marriage between one of Konoha's most powerful ninjas and the only sister of the current Kazekage would be perfect for tightening the ties of peace….if only it had been anyone other than himself and Temari. What he couldn't understand was why he had been suggested for the role. There were other young men whom easily could have taken his place.

'_They should have taken a peek in the Nara family's direction.'_ he thought angrily. '_Shikamaru would have loved to take her off my hands. If those damned elders had put on their glasses and cranked up their hearing aids, they would have realized that Temari and Shikamaru had been messing around for years.'_

And there were other men around his age who hailed from influential families and could have married her. Shikamaru was only the top of a long list Neiji had composed a long time ago. Chouji Akimichi and Shino Aburame were on there as well, right along with Kiba Inuzuka, Sasuke Uchiha, and Iwashi Tatami.

'_Of course, Sakura and Ino probably would have put up one hell of a fight even if Sasuke and Chouji didn't first.' _Neiji amended, knowing that the two sets of old teammates were well suited for each other. Sakura and Sasuke worked well enough together and had become ridiculously close after the final battle with Akatsuki and Orochimaru, where in the Uchiha had actually turned informant for Konoha and relayed some valuable information to the Hokage. And Ino was so protective of Chouji that it was ridiculous_. 'And I'm relatively sure that Morena and Nami would have attempted to assassinate Sarutobi's old teammates had Kiba or Shino been recommended.' _

Neiji had met Nami and Morena a few months before the fight with Akatsuki, when they had arrived with Kakashi's old teammate Rin (who many, including Kakashi himself, had presumed dead years ago) to fortify the still lagging Konoha ninja ranks. The reunion of Kakashi and Rin had been…explosive to say the least. And Neiji wasn't sure what had happened after they managed to speak to each other without attacking…and he wasn't sure he wanted to. Though the reunion had been the talk of the town gossips for weeks, Neiji had thankfully missed out on the drama. Nami and Morena, however, had not been so lucky and been caught up right in the middle of the ensuing arguments.

The two women had taken shelter at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar when the copy-nin Kakashi and medic kunoichi Rin happened to cross paths. There they had been introduced to Kiba and Shino through Naruto. Kiba and Morena had hit it off fabulously, where as Nami and Shino took a bit more time…and a few not so subtle nudges from their friends.

'_I've only dealt with the two women a few times, but it was enough to realize that if Kiba's or Shino's names had been drawn up, Koharu and Homura would either quickly be strangled to death by Nami's chakra-filled vines or torn to pieces from Morena's whip-swords. And with what I've seen of their training…they could probably accomplish it easily enough. That Rin lady trained them well, that much I can say. But look at the fight Tenten put up, and it still did not good. I'm seriously beginning to think that Hiashi pushed this marriage just as much to bolster the Hyuuga clan's status as he did to hopefully rid himself of the possibility of ever having to include Tenten into the Hyuuga family. Damned bastard.'_

_**If loving you is wrong I don't wanna be right  
If loving you is wrong I don't wanna be right**_

Neiji finished his cup of tea and deposited it in the sink, then leaned back against the countertop as the sounds of Temari getting dressed floated through the house, his mind simmering over the fact that someone else could have been chosen to play Temari's husband instead of him. Shikamaru would have been perfect for the job as far as he was concerned. But since the usually apathetic Nara had been seemingly overlooked, Neiji was stuck.

Although, given the absurdity of the entire mess, and discounting the fights and beatings he'd dealt with since their marriage, Neiji had to admit that things had gone much smoother than he had anticipated.

'_This whole situation has been odd from the beginning. And common sense would dictate that it would only get worse as time went along, but that's not the case here._

_There are certain unspoken rules that have developed since my marriage. I do not speak about you to Temari unless she asks about you, and Temari doesn't talk about Shikamaru unless I ask about him. I don't bring you to the house I share with Temari, and Temari doesn't bring Shikamaru here either. I limit my visits to you when Temari isn't on missions, and she does the same with Shikamaru when I'm not on missions. _

_That rule itself could explain why we unconsciously urge the other to take as many missions as possible. _

_When holidays come around, Temari and I attend the Hyuuga family gathers together. But the moment we're free, we both separate and head our respective ways for the rest of the day. The two of you never really have a reason to interact with each other that way._

_And I had heard stories about how wives and mistresses bicker and fight about their husband or lover. _

_Once again I was pleasantly surprised when the two of you were pulled in for a mission together. _

_You and Temari get along fine, despite everything. You've even worked together on some non-ANBU missions that needed to be filled. The first one was a guard job for some dignitary's daughter that could only be filled by the village kunoichi since the guy didn't want any ninja around his daughter. I expected trouble would start, especially since the only other kunoichi that was present was Ino, and everyone knows all too well how much of a troublemaker she can be when she starts instigating arguments._

_Imagine my surprise when I see the three of you coming down the street laughing and acting like the best of friends, on your way to file your mission report at the Hokage's office. I said it then, and I still stand by it now….women are impossible to understand. Even now, you regard each other as equals and coworkers. To my knowledge there has never been any altercations on my behalf. _

_Such is the fact when the one you're married to could care less about who you are cheating on her with so long as you say nothing about her own two timing ways._

_But is what Temari and I doing…can it even be considered as cheating? Hell, the one time Temari and I actually did sleep together, I felt guilty for days. In my mind, I was cheating on you, Tenten, by sleeping with my own wife. Talk about twisted!_

_Cheating is defined as having a sexual relationship with somebody other than a spouse or regular sexual partner. But what if there is no love in the relationship with a spouse? Does it still count as cheating if the spouse knows good and well what her husband is doing, and doesn't give a damned because she's doing the same thing?_

_I've turned that question over in my mind for months, but I've still not come up with a clear answer. _

_What a tangled web we weave….'_

**  
_I don't wanna be right  
If it means sleeping alone at night_**

'_We've been married for almost a year, but it seems like so much longer. Most nights I go to bed alone, even when Temari is home from missions. She took the guest room down the hall from the master bedroom in our house, completely of her own violation when we were married. And that is where she has slept every night, with only one exception, that we've been husband and wife. Of course, if she's with Shikamaru while I'm on a mission, then I've got no idea where she's staying. But even Temari wouldn't break one of our unspoken rules and bring the shadow manipulator to this house. I do know her that well at least. _

_But no matter how long we do this charade of a marriage, it is never going to accumulate to more than two people who are completely disregarding the words they were forced to utter in a wedding ceremony that they had no say in. How can you base a union on something like that and expect it to work, to expect the unwilling participants to hold to vows on monogamy when neither of them want to be there to begin with? It is just not possible. I'm just happy that neither you or Temari has wound up pregnant yet. _

_Dear Kami above, imagine the commotion that would cause.'_

_**I don't wanna, I don't wanna  
I don't wanna never, never, never be right**_

Neiji was pulled out of his inner musings when he heard the light footsteps of the blonde kunoichi coming down the hallway. Sure enough, she seemed a bit surprised to see him standing there. But like normal, she just shrugged and walked over to the counter to fix herself a cup of coffee.

"Hey." he welcomed.

"Hey. I didn't hear you come in." she admitted, stirring sugar into the mug.

"Haven't been here long." he said simply. "You're home early."

"The mission wasn't as difficult as we thought it would be." she answered easily, wrinkling her nose as she walked past him to perch herself on the table top. Her face contorted into a knowing frown, but evened out just as quickly. Neiji knows that expression all to well. It's the face she always makes when she smells Tenten's perfume on his clothes. She's done it countless times before, and Neiji's sure she probably always will. In fact, he doubts she even realizes she does it.

"You got missions today with the brats?" she asked.

"Probably." he answered. "You got plans for later on today?"

"Why?"

"Hinata wants to speak to both of us about something."

"What's wrong now?"

"I'm not sure. She requested both of us see her as soon as possible once you returned." Neiji explained. Temari just shrugged.

"Later this evening? I've got to get some sleep first." she said. "And I've got a few other things I need to do."

"That is fine. After dinner time then?" he asked. "I'll be that late getting back from any missions the Hokage has assigned to my team."

"That's fine." she shrugged, finishing her coffee and getting off the table, stretching like a teal-eyed, blonde haired cat. "See ya' later."

"Rest well." Neiji said simply. She just waved him off as she walked away, towards her room. Neiji shook his head once again before glancing up at the clock.

It was almost time for him to meet up with his Genin team, and if he didn't hurry he was going to be late. Punctuality was one of his sticklers, both in himself and his students. And if Hinata wanted to see him, then the quicker he got finished with the Genins then the quicker he would find out what his cousin wanted with him and his reluctant wife.

'_Who knows,'_ he thought acerbically, quickly grabbing a fresh robe to change into from the laundry room. '_maybe she's got some good news for us this time. Maybe she's finally found a way to stop this ridiculous facsimile of a marriage I've been stuck in for the past twelve months.' _

But he doubted it would be anything that good.

After all, Fate was a bitch of the highest caliber. And she had proven time and time again that Neiji Hyuuga was one of her favorite scapegoats.

_**

* * *

A/N -** I hope everyone enjoyed this little dribble. I tried to get the personalities as spot on as I could, but please take into consideration that Neiji, Tenten, and Temari are older in this fic. Personalities do change as we get older, so please keep that in mind before you decide to flame me for the way this is written. _

_With that said, I bid you all farewell._

_Until the next time,_

_A.A. _

_And here's a little info on some names in this fic, just in case you aren't familiar with them:_

_**Iwashi Tatami **- He is an actual anime character. You may remember him as the fourth member of Team Shizune that faced off against Orochimaru's Sound Four. He's the guy with the cute little goatee. _

_**Koharu** and **Houmaru** - Actual canon characters. These are the names of the two Konoha Leaf village's elders. They are consequently also the team members of Sarutobi when they were young. (I.e. the 3rd Hokage's old teammates.) _

_**Morena **and **Nami **- Two OC's that are going to play a part in a future story I'm working on. They aren't very important at this time, other than the fact that they are, respectively, Kiba's and Shino's other halves at least for now. _

_**Rin** - She is an actual cannon character. Up until now we have seen no clue of her in the anime, but the manga has given a bit of information on her. She was Kakashi's old teammate from his younger days, and supposedly had a slight infatuation with him. Some people think she died sometime after Gaiden, but there hasn't been confirmation of that yet from a reliable source. _


End file.
